Universal Furniture Inc. announced that it is rolling out its new Smart Mix 500 program to its West Coast dealers. Dealers in 10 western states will receive direct container pricing for minimum orders of 500 cubes – the equivalent of as little as three bedroom suites – of any mix of Universal products and collections.
“Smart Mix 500 was created to provide greater flexibility at a lower cost, in keeping with the company’s goal to make good, affordable, smart design a real differentiator and value generator”, says Jeff Scheffer, president and CEO of Universal Furniture. “Dealers can mix orders from Better Homes and Gardens by Universal Furniture and Paula Deen Home with any of the other Universal collections. There are no limitations to the product mix.”
With Smart Mix 500, products are shipped from the company’s high cube, automated Shanghai warehouse capable of holding 1,800 containers of inventory, on average, in less than two weeks. For more immediate needs, products can be delivered from domestic inventories in 10 days or less from the 350,000-sq.-ft. warehouse at the company’s headquarters in High Point. The company will phase out its City of Industry, Calif., warehouse operations which are staffed by ten people, during the fourth quarter of this year. Smart Mix 500 will ship products direct to dealers via an out-sourced, cross-dock operation located in Riverside, Calif.
“We’ve been pleased with the dealer response to the flexibility and savings of Smart Mix 500”, Scheffer says. “At direct container pricing, they are able to buy good, affordable, smart design with near domestic warehouse fulfillment but without the high cost of carrying inventory. It’s a win-win.”
Universal Furniture International, Inc. offers good, affordable, smart design. A highly regarded source for beautiful home furnishings at attractive prices, the company offers design excellence and exceptional manufacturing processes from its dedicated facilities in China. Universal Furniture offers its collections through fine home furnishings retailers throughout North America and in numerous other countries. For more information, please visit www.universalfurniture.com.